Kobert w



May 22, 1923.

R. W. A. BREWER FUEL MANIFOLD R Filed June 23 ettozmqi,

Patented May 2v2, 1923.

UNITED i STATES 1,456,176 PA'rENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. A. BREWER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FUEL MANIFOLD.

Application filed `Tune 23, 1921. Serial No. 479,887.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISXONS 0F THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 4-1 STAT. L., 1313.)

To allwwm t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT 1V. A. BREWER, a subject of the King of Great Britain', having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, residing at 1ndianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of indiana, have invented a new and useful Fuel Manifold (for which 1 filed an application in Great Britain Dec. 1 1913, Patent No. 27681, of 1913), of which the lnected to a manifold, generally of either "i" or Y form, the various passages of the manifold being substantially uniform in cross section from the carburetor to the several cylinders.

Where a manifold of the T-shape was used, it was found that there would be, during the operation of the engine, a precipitation of liquid particles from the fuel stream, said particles either running or being driven back into the carburetor through the stem of the T. The Y-shaped manifold was designed to provide means by which the fuel stream could be conducted to the several cylinders without sudden changes of the direction of iiow and thereby avoid, to some extent at least, the precipitation of the liquid particles from the fuel stream. With such construction especially where the engine is designed for high speeds, the valve timing is of such character that at low engine speeds each piston actually produces a reverse flow of yfuel mixture in the adjacent portion of the manifold and, at certain critical speeds, actually causes ejection of fuel mixture backwardly through the carburetor. As the speed increases, the inertia of the fuel mixture in the various branches of the manifold may, when high speeds are reached, serve to prevent actual ejection of fuel mixture backwardlythrough the carburetor but in any event pulsations are set up in the manifold and these pulsations are of such character as to seriously affect the functioning of the carburetor. I

j An object of my invention is to so form the manifold that the `fuel stream, as it issues from the carburetor, is subjected in the manifold to a sudden change of direction of flow so that any liquid particles entrapped therein will be precipitated, and to then provide means by which the precipitate may be promptly highly heated to such an extent as to insure volatilization of the major portion of the precipitate without, however, heating the gaseous portion of the mixture to an undesirable extent. j

A further object of my invention is to s0 form the manifold that at the` junction between its short main stem and its branches there will be a sufficient capacity to form what might be termed an expansion chamber or, rather, a damping chamber, and t0 so arrange the branching arms of the manifold relative to this damping chamber and the main stem of the manifold that pulsations.y started at the ends of the branches of the manifold by the reverse action of the pistons or otherwise will serve to assist the flow of fuel to the next cylinder of the series through the oppositely directed branch of the manifold, instead ofacting t0 retard or reverse now of fuel mixture in the stem of the manifold.

A `further object of my invention is to provide means by which the quantity of heat, furnished to the surface upon which the precipitate may lie, may be varied readily so as to give the most eiiicient effect, this effect being produced by providing means by which the metallic Contact existing between the heating medium, as ,for instance, the exhaust pipe, and that portion of the damping chamber upon which the precipitate may be treated, may be readily varied and localized. With fuels such as are now commonly used, and such as were common, although to a lesser extent, in 1913, the locally heated surfaces, to which further attention will be called, should be heated to at least 1500 centigrade, the temperature being determined by the minimum temperature which is required to volatilize the leastlvolatile component of the liquid fuel being used.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. Fig. 1 is an elevation in partial vertical section of one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 a vertical section on line indicates the stem or receiving passage of the y manifold adapted to be directly connected to any suitable carburetor (not shown)y sothat theremay be unimpeded flow directly from the carburetor into and throughy stem 10. The stem 10 of the manifold leads into what I have termed thejdamping chamber 11 Which-delivers into the branches 12, 12 of the manifold, each of said branches deliveringat 13 to one or more cylinders of the engine. The vbranches 12, 12 in this forni.- confoin with the damping chamber at an acute angle to ,the axis of steuilt), this being accomplished by whatr might be termed huinpsj1'4, 14 in the angle between stem 1() andea'chbranch l12, each of these humps be ingme'dially traversed by a small drainage groove 15, the purpose ofwhich will appear. The surface 16` which forms one wall. if the damping chamber 11, extends laterally across Athe axisy of passage 10 so that the incoming fuel mixture impinges squarely` upon this surface, `the direction of the lowof theffuel mixture being :thereby suddenly changed, and this sudden change of the direction ofp-theffiow causes precipitation of the liquid particles from 'the stream lupon theV surface, said liquid particles lthereafter dragging along the upperwall ofeach passage 12and, case of excessive precipitation, inallywaccumulating,in a puddle pocket 17 at a 4low point in eachy branch 12, The drainage groove A15 communicates with this puddle pocket and permits a retardeddrain age of any accumulation back to the main passage 10 where it will be caught up by the incoming fuelmixture and returned to the surface 1 6.

In orderto highly locally `heat the surface 16, I associate it, iii the form shown in the figures of ythe drawing under discussion, vvithfthe` exhaust pipe 18the arrangement being suchthat the quantity of heat which shall, bel delivered to the manifold will be suflicient to currently heat the precipitate to a temperature suiiicient to secure substantial volatilization, but will, nevertheless, be insufficient to substantially heat the fuel mixture as a whole. It will be noted in this connection that the maj or portions 4of the exterior of the `walls of branches 12will be cooled'by the atmosphere so that these passages Will be at a lower temperature than theportion 1of theimanifold Awhich is formed 1 at the `junction of the main stem and branches 12.;`

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, it will be noted that the main passage 10 is increased in cross-section as it approaches the junction 11 and that the branches 12 are considerably greater in cross section` than'the delivery orifice 13 which delivers -to the cylinders, so that in this forni the damping chamber 11` might be said to also include the large-capacity of thel branches 12. The humps 14, with the intermediate drainage passage 15, ai'e similar to corresponding partsin the other form. In this form, the incoming fuel mixture impacts upon the surface 16 and is carried laterally because the branches 12 are ina different plane from the main ypassage 10" (see Fig. 5) and consequently, because of reduced velocity of the air stream, due to the large cross section of branches 12, there is a. greater tendency tof ward gravity precipitation of` the liquid par ticles upon the upper surface 14 of the hump 14', excess liquid accumulating inthe puddle pocket 17.

It is for this reason that, instead of `lo-` cally heating the surface 16', I locally heat; the humps 14 by means of metal shims. or inserts 2O .inserted between the lower wall of the manifold immediately surrounding the passage 10 at its junction withchamber 11', and the eXhaustinanii'old 18. By vary-` ing the areas ofthese shims 20, or by varying the material of which the shims are' formed, the amount of heat which will be conducted from the wallsv of the exhaust manifold to lthe humps 14 may be accurately gauged and proportioned to deliver-y versing impulse which maybe exerted upon the fuel mixture in one branch will act to facilitate How through the other branch, and

consequently, flow inwardly in the main stem, rather than to retard or reverse i'iow inwardly in the main stem, and consequentljvf the possibility of the fuel being blown out through the main stem 10 at certaincriticalf speeds is obvia-ted.

The drainage passage-is so comparatively Vsmall that the gas yflow is' not materially effected by :its presence and it is is provided Y primarily for the purpose vof permitting drainage of the puddle pockets `after:the

engine has ceased ruiming` rather thanito provide substantial flow of any accuiiiulatiou A .in the puddlepocliets during the normal operation of the engine.

Iclaiin as my invention :-q

1. A fuel induction pipeA for `multi-cylin` der internal` combustion engines, substaii-1 tiallyT-shape in form, andlineans` for lo@ cally heating'au liinitedpoitionof the/avail of such structure closely adjacentthe june,

tion between the main stem and branches,-`

said heated portion being a surface upon which liquid particles from the fuel rstream will contact, and the local heating means comprising movable conduction elements. c

2. A fuel induction pipe for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, substantially T-shape in form with the branches 'at acute angles to the axis of the stem, and

means for locally heating a limitedportion of the wall of such structure closely adj acont thefjunction f between the main stem and branches, said heated portion being a surface upon which liquid particles from the fuel stream willcontact.

3. A fuel induction pipe for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, substantially T-shape in form, and means for locally heating a limited portion of the wall of such structure closely adjacent the junctionbetween the main stem and branches, said means comprising removable heat conducting elements forming heat conducting connections lbetween an exhaust manifold and the wall to be heated, said heated portion being a surface upon which liquid particles from the fuel stream will contact.

4i. A fuel induction pipe for mul'ti-cyliir der internal combustion engines, substantially T -shape in form with the branches at acute angles to the axis of the stem, and means for locally heating a limited portion of the wall of such struct-ure closely adjacent the junction between the main stem and branches, said means comprising removable heat conducting elements forming heat conducting connections between an exhaust manifold and the wall to be heated, said heated portion being a surface upon which liquid particles from the fuel stream will contact.

5. A fuel induction pipe for internal combustion engines, substantially T-shape in form, the average cross-sectional dimensions of the interior adjacent the junction between the stem and branches being substantially greater than a cross-sectional dimension of the branch so as to form a damping chamber at the junction between the main stem and branches, and means to locally highly heat a portion of the wall of the damping chamber upon which fuel particles from the fuel stream may contact.

G. A fuel induction pipe for internal combustion engines, substantially T-shape in form, the average cross-sectional dimensions of the interior adjacent the junction between the stem and branches being substantially greater than a cross-sectional dimension of the branch so as to form a damping chamber at the junction between the main stem and branches, and means to locally highly heat a portion of the wall of the damping chamber upon which fuel particles from the fuel stream may contact, said means comprising removable heat conducting elements forming heat conducting c nections between an exhaust manifold 'the wall to be heated.

7. A fuel induction pipe for internal coinbustion engines, substantially T-shape in form, the average cross-sectional dimensions of the interior adjacent the junction between the stem and branches being substantially greater than a cross-section dimension of the branch so as to form a damping chamber at the junction between the main stem and branches, the axes of the branches lying at acute angles to the axis of the main stem, and means to locally highly heat a portion of the wall of the damping chamber upon which fuel particles from the fuel stream may contact.

8. A fuel induction pipe for internal combustion engines, substantially T-shape in form, the average cross-sectional dimensions of the interior adjacent the junction between the stein and branches being substantially greater'than a cross-sectional dimension of the branch so as to form a damping chamber at the junction between the main stem and branches, the axes of the branches lying at acute angles to the axis of the main stem, and means to locally highly heat a portion of the wall of the damping chamber upon which fuel particles from the fuel stream may contact, said means comprising removable heat conducting elements forming heat conducting connections between an exhaust manifold and the wall to be heated.

9. An induction pipe for internal combustion engines substantially T-shape and formed so as to provide a damping chamber at the junction between the main stein and branches, the branches having puddle poclrets intermediate their lengths, and means to locally highly heat a limited area of a wall of the damping chamber upon which liquid fuel particles may contact.

10. An induction pipe for internal combustion engines substantially T-shape and formed so as to provide a damping chamber at the junction between the main stem and branches, the branches having puddle pockets intermediate their lengths and being at acute angles to the axis of the main stem, and means to locally highly heat a limited area of a wall of the damping chamber upon which liquid fuel particles may contact. j

1l. An induction pipe for internal combustion engines substantially T-shape and formed so as to provide a damping chamber at the junction between the main stem and branches, the branches having puddle pockets intermediate their lengths, and means to locally highly heat a limited area of a wall of the damping chamber upon which liquid fuel particles may contact, said means comprising removable heat conduct- `inoa elements forming heat conducting cony formed so as to provide a damping cham-- ber at the junction between the main stem and branches, the branches having puddle Qocliets intermediate theirI lengths and being at acute angles to the axis of the main stein, and means to locally highly heat a limited area oi wall the dan. ing chamber upon which liquid fuel particles may contact, said means comprisii i i.'r ile heat conducting elenfr rolia cruiductinir con` nections between a manifold and the wall to be heated.

3. in induction pipe vfor internal cornbustnn nos sul'stantially T-shape and terrified so as to provide damping chamber at the junction between the main stein` and branches, the branches haring auddle pooliets intermediate their lengths and being at acute angles to the axis or' the main stern, a co7 paratively small drainage gaseage 'forming an outlet from each puddle pocket to the n'iain stema and means to locally high ly heat a limited area oit a Wall ot the damping chamber `upon which liquid fuel particles contact7 said means comprising removable heat conducting elements 'forming heat conducting coiniections betweeen an eirhaust manifold and the Wall. to be heated.

le. A. fuel induction jeine tor internal combustion er comprisin;` a short main stem adapted iler direct and close connection with carburetor, and a branch leading thereI 'from at an acute angle so as to provide a surtace, at the junction upon which the incoming gases will impinge to cause precipitation of liquid particles entrapped in the fuel stream, and means by which may behighly heated ya limited portion of the'wall closely adjacentihe junction and upon which said liquid particles maycontact. v

il fuel induction pipev for internal combustion engines comprising a short main stein ariaiited for direct and close connection with a carburetor, and a branch leading' therelfroin i a substantial angle -so as to the incoming gases will inipinge to cause precipitation oi liquid particles entrapped in the fuel stream, and means by which may be highly lieated'a limited portion of the wall closely acent the junction and upon which said liquid particles may contact, sai-d means comprising removable conduction elements adiacent said limited portion of the Wall. lli.

uel induction manifold for multicylinder internal combustion engines iormedl to provide AWall upon 'which liquid particles in the uelanixture stream Will nnpinge,

ber, and removable heat conducting elements inserted between the Wall of said heated chamber and a portion of the Wall ofthe manifold to be locally heated.

In Witness Whereon I, lonnn'r WV. A. BREWER, have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT W. A. BREWER.

means for heating said Wall locally, @rising an adi acent exhaust-'heated cham and removable heat conducting elements Y between the wall of said heated iliroyide a surface at the .junction uponwhich Y 

